ntain under the Tabu, because an Englishman, finding there a piece of
quartz-crystal, considered it to be diamond; and the King, finding these
were of great value, supposed he possessed in the mountain an
inexhaustible treasure, till he discovered his mistake, and the Tabu was
taken off.

The vessels first seen by the Sandwich Islanders must have been very
small, for when Cook's appeared, they took her for a swimming island,
and believed that Etua-Rono, for whom they always retained the most
profound veneration, had at length fulfilled his promise and returned to
them. The joy was universal; and it was determined to receive the
beneficent god, so long absent, who was to restore the Golden Age upon
the island, with all possible honours. Neither Cook nor his companion
seemed to have had any notion that they were saluted with divine
honours; but they considered the ceremonies enacted by the rejoicing
people as marks of distinction commonly bestowed on persons of
importance. His being called by them "O Rono," (the Rono) did not
enlighten him on the subject, as he was unacquainted with the tradition;
but he contented himself with the conjecture, that the appellation was a
title of honour, signifying chief or priest. Had the conduct of Cook
made it possible for the islanders to retain their beneficial error, the
good understanding between them and the English would never have been
interrupted; but he himself was the first to convince them that he could
not be their divine benefactor.

Some of the populace conceived themselves entitled to appropriate a
portion of the presents which Rono, according to his promise, had
brought them--a licence which was immediately punished by Cook with
great severity: the offenders taken in the fact were whipped; those who
fled were fired upon; and several persons, some of whom were innocent,
lost their lives. Rono could not be so cruel and unjust; and _Tute_, as
they called Cook, immediately sunk in their estimation to the rank of
ordinary mortals. He was henceforth feared as a mighty chief, but
venerated no longer. This change of sentiment was very evident when he
returned hither from his voyage northward. The islanders met the ship as
before, with hogs and fruits; but they set a price upon them, instead of
presenting them, as formerly, in the character of offerings, and
accepting the returns made them as gratuitous gifts. Finding that they
obtained what appeared to them an exorbitant price f